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Update on New York Redistricting

Each state must redraw its political maps to reflect the 2010 census, but New York, which has approved neither legislative nor Congressional districts for this year’s elections, is among the last to comply. Redistricting has become increasingly urgent because of the calendar; the state’s Congressional primary is scheduled for June 26, and its legislative primary for Sept. 11.

SO FAR

A task force of the State Legislature has proposed new districts for the Assembly and the Senate, but those districts have been criticized as gerrymandered to protect incumbents, and the Legislature has not voted on the proposals. The Legislature is even further behind in developing new Congressional districts, leading a panel of federal judges to appoint a magistrate to develop a map that could be imposed by the court.

THE LATEST

Legislative leaders, unable to reach an agreement on how to reduce the number of Congressional districts to 27 from 29, submitted competing proposals late Wednesday for the magistrate to consider. The Senate’s Republican majority and the Assembly’s Democratic majority, as expected, proposed eliminating the mid-Hudson Valley district currently represented by Maurice D. Hinchey, a Democrat not seeking re-election, and distributing its territory among several surrounding districts. Both parties also called for the elimination of a Congressional district in the New York City area, but they could not agree on the details.

The Senate Republicans proposed to carve up the Queens and Nassau County district represented by Gary L. Ackerman, a Democrat. Under that plan, to remain in Congress, Mr. Ackerman would face the prospect of running against a fellow Democrat, Representative Carolyn McCarthy, in a district almost entirely in Nassau County. The Assembly Democrats also proposed carving up the district represented by Mr. Ackerman. Under their plan, Mr. Ackerman’s current residence would fall in the district represented by another fellow Democrat, Representative Steve Israel. Democrats would also create a new district in Queens and the Bronx that would be heavily Democratic and would include roughly half of the territory currently represented by Mr. Ackerman.

The Assembly Democrats would also eliminate the district in Brooklyn and Queens represented by Bob Turner, a Republican who scored an upset victory in the special election last fall to replace a Democrat, Anthony D. Weiner. The Assembly Democrats proposed to fold that district into a neighboring one, currently represented by Joseph Crowley, who is also the Queens Democratic Party chairman. The new district would be based entirely in Queens, and therefore advantageous to Mr. Crowley. The Republican minority in the Assembly also submitted a proposal, as did several government reform and civil rights groups.

UP NEXT

Legislative leaders have until Friday to provide feedback to Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann on the proposals that were filed on Wednesday, as well as a plan that had previously been drawn up by a government reform group, Common Cause New York. Members of the public also have until Friday to submit their own maps for the court’s consideration. And to gather further input on proposed Congressional maps, Judge Mann has scheduled a public hearing Monday in Brooklyn federal court.